A couple of weeks, our teenage golf star, Kelly, and I drove to Kennewick, WA for a practice round before the Washington State High School Golf Tournament (she ended up coming in 3rd after leading the first round).

We stayed one night at the Hilton Garden Inn Tri-Cities/Kennewick. And, as much as you know I hate hotels, they did a very good job. The staff was attentive and pleasant. Our room was very nice.

I received a little surprise when checking in. On the counter was a sign saying, "Welcome to our Guest Of The Day, Steve Miller." The check-in person said there was a surprise waiting in my room. Kelly and I found a balloon with jelly beans, a towel shaped liked a swan, a voucher for one free breakfast, and the following certificate:

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Unexpected surprise, right? Did it make me smile? Yes, of course. And I give them big thumbs up for the effort.

But does this hotel now deserve a 10? You see, on the desk was a letter from the hotel manager. It wasn't just to the Guest of the Day. I think it was in every room. Besides welcoming us, the manager also stated that after our stay we could expect to receive an online survey from Hilton. He went on to say that, if for any reason, we could not give them a 10 to please contact him and he will fix it.

How would you feel about this? Would you feel that the manager was gaming the system, much like automobile service departments do? Should I give them a 10 because they did a good job, which they did? Should I give them a 10 because I was Guest-of-the-Day?

Personally, giving a 10 to any supplier is difficult for me. A 10 to me is a giant WOW! WOW, they went above and beyond anything I could have expected! WOW, they were surprisingly amazing! WOW, they actually caught me off guard in some magical, highly personal way!

I am very interested in your thoughts, so please respond below in the Comment section. Personally, I'd be happy to give them a 9, which is pretty darn good in my book, but not a 10. For a hotel that would get a 10 from me, read my past post, Mosquitos & Butterflies.